Repercussions
by ignis crudelis
Summary: *HIATUS* This is a sequel to Heart's Despair, Knife's Repair. The title basically says it all. What happens after Momiji kills himself?
1. Repercussions

**Title:** Reactions

**Warning:** This is a sequel to Heart's Despair, Knife's Repair. This isn't rated as high, but it would be good to go read the story before this. Just so you know what's going on. This has language, but it's mostly angst. Pure and unadulterated angst.

**AU:** Yaaay! I was informed by _Hiro Sohma_ that I should make a sequel…so here you go! Hope you like it just as much as the first story. If not let me know and I'll rewrite it. I just thought that this was a good sequel. On with the story!!

00

He couldn't believe his ears. It simply wasn't possible! His lifelong companion _could not_ be dead! He just _couldn't_!

0

Haru stared at the doctor with a blank expression; emotions twisting themselves fiercely in his heart and mind. He simply didn't know what to think. The doctor had just informed him that Momiji, his _best friend_ had jumped from his hospital room window the night before and died. With a shattering crunch mixed with a grotesque splat, he was sure. He could hear it; see it played in his head.

He wanted to throw up. To wake up and this merely turn out to be a bad dream. A very, _very_ bad dream. But no such solace would appear. He had to accept it. And he finally knew, anger and hatred boiling up inside him like a volcano about to explode, it was all _her_ fault. It was all Tohru's fault! If she hadn't alienated Momiji like she had, he would still be here! Still be standing, and still be Haru's best friend! Dammit! Tears began pouring from his eyes like a broken dam. He threw a hand over his mouth as he ran to the public bathroom.

He emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl, which wasn't very much in all honesty, so it ended up being bile that burned the walls of his throat. He didn't mind though; it took his mind off of everything, the stinging pain.

He sat there on the floor of the bathroom, still crying, wiping his mouth of the rancid substance that covered it. Haru couldn't find the will to get up, so he just sat there; knees pulled to his chest, curled into a tight ball, crying shamelessly.

0

The nurses and staff were worried about Haru. He hadn't left the bathroom or stopped crying in hours. They had no words of comfort, so they called the next person on the list of contact numbers: Hatori. When he showed up, he was more than a bit perturbed. He was sure that Hatsuharu had said he was coming here because they called. What did they want with him?

The nurses apologized for calling him, but they didn't know what to do with the boy crying in the bathroom. Hatori, completely confused, went in and heard the awful noises of sobbing from a voice damaged from overuse. A voice he knew all too well.

"Hatsuharu, what are you doing in here?" Hatori questioned, ignorant of the cause of the distraught state of the teen.

"H-h-he ki-ki-killed him-self! Oh god!" Haru collapsed back into sobs.

"Wait. You mean…Hatsuharu, do you mean to tell me that Momiji is…?"

The crying only increased. Hatori was stunned to say the least. Morphing from shock- confusion, anger, and grief welled up inside him. He stormed out of the bathroom, right up to the doctor and did something he'd never done before. He began yelling.

"WHAT HAPPENED?! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HIM!" He boomed, grief and anger the only emotions he could feel.

The doctor was shocked and mildly frightened by the look of rage in Hatori's eyes. He'd known Hatori for years, though not personally, and never once had he gotten angry, let alone start screaming! Backing up, he replied shakily," C-calm down, Hatori! You-you have to b-be calm! F-f-for the boy!"

Hatori seized the doctor by the scruff of his coat, seething hate for the man. But suddenly, the anger in his eyes burned away to reveal pure agony, as he instead clutched onto the doctor, collapsing into sobs himself. He fell to the floor with a resounding thud, and began weakly pounding his fists against the doctor's chest and stomach, tears still pouring and sobs still ripping from his vocal chords. Everyone was in utter shock. Never before had Hatori been so emotional.

Eventually, the doctor heaved Hatori up and ushered him into the nearby room, helping him sit onto Momiji's would-be sick bed. He told the nurses to get Haru out of the bathroom and into the room as well. After that was done, with much effort, he closed the door to let the men have some privacy while they held each other for support and sobbed their hearts out together.

0

After they had run out of tears and cleaned themselves up, they went home to call a house meeting. Getting everyone together, they announced the news, getting the response they had anticipated. Everyone was enraged, horrified, or confused; some even a mixture of all three. Some people hadn't known about Momiji's condition, the rest simply couldn't deal with the fact that he had actually killed himself and that they were never going to get to see his smiling face again.

Many people had the same reaction Haru had, to just break down into tears, other went Hatori's route and decided to scream their anger out. Either way, everyone was affected in a big way; some people, such as Kisa, were simply speechless. She just sat in the corner crying silently, Hiro trying to comfort her. Suddenly Haru announced that he blamed Tohru. Everyone froze in shock. Haru had liked her, but now he's blaming her?

"What are you saying Haru?" Yuki questioned," Tohru has…_had_ been nothing but kind to him!"

"You didn't see him like I did!" Haru growled," You didn't see how she made him suffer!"

"If he was suffering so much, why didn't he say anything?" Kyo butt in.

"Because he knew all of you would hate him if he ever told you" Hatori stepped in, defending Haru.

Everyone thought about it. They didn't want to believe it, but it was true. They probably would have felt that way. They would have felt hostile feelings toward him. This realization only made them break down into worse tears and sobs.

"Don't you see? She's trying to break up apart! To make us her toys! But I refuse to be her little play thing any longer. I say we get rid of her; erase her memory." Haru said with obvious strain in his voice. The looks he received were not entirely supportive.

"What if we did?" Hiro asked," What would we do with her?"

"We'd just erase her memory. Simple as that. Ignore her, not respond to her," Haru explained," Pretend like she never mattered to us."

"We can't do that!" Kyo yelled," I can't do that to her! You _know_ how I feel!"

"Fine, Kyo! Do you want someone else to commit suicide because of her?!"

"No! I bet he was just mental anyway! Faulty brain!"

"How can you say that?!" Kisa suddenly cried," How can you stand to say that something was wrong with him?! There wasn't anything wrong with him before she came along! I don't want to erase her memory, but I can't let this happen again! Not again…" She began to cry again, burying her face in Hiro's chest. They watched in mournful silence.

"We can't do it." Yuki said sorrowfully," We know Momiji wasn't crazy or anything, but I know that I personally cannot do that to Honda-san."

One by one the others agreed. They wanted to let Tohru keep her memory, even though this might happen again. After taking a poll, it was 2 to 10 that she keep her memory. Even Akito wanted her to keep her memory. Haru and Hatori walked out of that meeting feeling more disgusted than they ever had. They knew that from then on, they'd never be able to get along with Tohru or the rest of the Sohma family very well again because of their decision, but after witnessing what it did to Momiji. No, they weren't going to end up like him, because they had eachother to feel this anger with. They weren't alone in this feeling; not like Momiji was. And they were going to keep fighting for their cause until the end. Until everyone knew what an awful person Tohru was.

"We can't let this happen again," Haru stated.

"I'm aware. If this goes on, she'll alienate someone else. Oh god, do you think she wants us all dead?" Hatori inquired, realization setting in.

"If that's what she wants, we'll show her that we aren't leaving this without a fight." Haru replied, determination emanating from him.

"Agreed. How do we plan on bringing about her demise, though?"

They thought about it, and finally realized the answer.

"We don't." They chorused together," We let them be, and see what she does."

"If only we'd known this before Momiji died."

"Yes, but then we wouldn't have believed him."

Sitting there, thinking about what Momiji did to himself, the men began to cry silently together. If only they didn't have to wait for someone else to die; if only there was another way to prove how evil she was. But they knew there wasn't. They could only wait and watch.

And that's just what they did.

**AU:** Well, let me know what you thought. I'd love some feed back, so I could know if it'd be better to rewrite it.

Also, if you want me to continue, let me know. I just might do it, if you guys want it enough! ;


	2. The Plan

AU: So, I guess it was good

**AU:** So, I guess it was good! If you guys want it that bad, okay! I'll give it to you! :

**Disclaimer:** Ugh. Seriously?? Do I even NEED to tell you that Natsuki Takaya owns this? Because if I do, you obviously don't like Furuba that much. For serious.

00

They had been waiting for something like this to happen. They hadn't spoken to Tohru in a few months now, and they actually felt better, more normal, than they had in a while. There was still some feelings of animosity from the rest of the house towards them, but they had no such feelings of rancor towards the house. But now that it started happening, they wondered why no one else decided to stop it; why no one wanted to help. Instead they pretended like they had no idea that she was silent once again. But Haru and Hatori knew better. They knew why Kisa was acting this way. And they hated it.

Deciding to go see her, the men prepared themselves mentally. The only way they could be sure was to see her when no one was home and without her knowing they were going to show up. They approached the door silently, then knocked loudly. It must have startled her, because there was a loud crash then running footsteps, finally the door was thrown open to reveal a disheveled girl staring at them wide-eyed. She merely tilted her head in silent question.

"Hey, Kisa. Sorry to come over without notice or anything," Haru apologized in his normal deadpan voice," I just wanted to check up on you. How are you doing? You know you can tell…or well, uh, write me anything, don't you?"

Kisa looked at him with suspicious eyes, before allowing the men inside. Ushering them to the kitchen, she waved her hands around in affirmation that they could eat or drink whatever they like. Turning around, the girl had a dark look in her eyes as she stared straight at the men.

"We know why you stopped talking," Haru began," And you've finally realized it as well, haven't you?"

Kisa lightly sighed, then lowering her head, she nodded. She walked up to her companion and they embraced tightly, as she began to cry into his chest, eyes shut tight. Hatori wasn't sure what to do, so he just pat her softly on the head, wishing he could do more.

Pulling back, tears staining her flesh, Kisa croaked out," I want her gone, Nee-chan! I want her gone!"

"I know, Kisa. As do I; as do I," said boy affirmed," But how is the new question."

"I've been thinking about that myself, and I've decided what we should do," the older man responded," Kisa, show mw your arms."

The girl flinched, but reluctantly pulled her sleeves up to reveal bandaged arms.

"As I thought. Kisa, whenever Tohru tries to touch you, or even get too close to you, don't pretend its okay. I want you to run to Isuzu; she may not look it, but she has high motherly instincts. She won't want to admit it, but she'll know something's wrong. If Isuzu isn't there, then run to the closest Juunishi member, unless it's Kyo or Yuki. They won't do anything for you; they're too far gone into her spell," the man paused to make sure everything was registering in the child's mind. Seeing the understanding in her eyes, he continued," If this doesn't work, we'll have to think of something else, but for now, simply showing them your dislike of her will make them wonder. I know this been lurking in the back of their minds."

Now that they had their plan all laid out and ready to go, the men left the girl after a kiss on the forehead and a pat on the head; promises to see each other soon floating in the air.

0

Getting home, the men conversed about the plan.

"Hatori, why did you never speak of the plan to me before this encounter?" Haru inquired.

"I suppose I hadn't thought about it," The older replied," It slipped my mind until then."

"Ha! I swear, I'm the only person alive that knows you to be so absentminded," Haru joked.

Hatori smiled, agreeing fully," Indeed my brain has become more fuddled over the years."

Smile fading, the younger spoke," I just hope that this scheme of yours works, Hatori."

"I know. I'm just as hopeful as you, my friend."

With that, Haru left Hatori's office for his own home. Both men praying that what they had planned would work out, for they couldn't stand to see another suicide by another family member go uncared for.

**AU:** Sorry it's so short! I've been brainstorming, and this is as far as I've gotten. I'm trying to get them out for you, so you aren't sitting at home going, "Oh my god! That lazy bitch needs to get more chapters out!" Cause that would make me sad. :

Anywho, hope you liked it!


	3. Authors Upturn

Authors Note

**Authors Upturn!!**

Okay, people!

So, I'm assuming that you're wondering why I'm putting AU instead of AN. Well, it's because I figured that I'm unsetting the story with all of my jabbering, so I declared it the Author's Upturn, instead of the Authors Note. Sorry for any confusion!

Also I want a vote: Do we keep this story the way it is and leave it at that, or do we throw in a bit of cute romance??

Personally, I think it'd be cute! But it's all up to you! I'll give it two weeks. Then, I will take the opinion of the most voted for decision.

It's all up to you!!


	4. The Tables Turn

AU: …

AU: …..Did you all hate me and leave? I hope not…well, even if you did, I'm gonna put this chapter out anyway! So there! ;

0

The next day, the Juunishi all got together again. Well, all except Haru and Hatori, but they all refused to acknowledge them as part of the Sohma family anymore. They were all talking amicably, laughing and enjoying the day spent with Tohru. However, when Tohru went to give Kisa a hug, the girl dashed to Isuzu's side and clung to her.

"What's the matter, Kisa?" Tohru asked, hurt showing on her fake face.

The girl merely shook her head and buried her face in Isuzu's side. When Tohru tried to get close to her, Kisa slipped behind Isuzu, keeping a tight grip on her waist.

"Kisa…?"

"No," Isuzu said," If she doesn't want to touch you, then leave her be. She's just a child, don't push her past her limit." As she said this, Tohru's face flashed anger for a moment before snapping straight back into a look of sadness. This flicker didn't escape Isuzu's notice, and she made a note to always stay by Kisa's side. She felt uneasy about this situation.

0

Over the course of the week following the first incident, Kisa had run to Isuzu's side multiple times. Every time it happened, Tohru's anger showed more and more. Isuzu wasn't stupid; she knew something was horribly wrong. The last time it happened, however, Isuzu had to hold Kisa close to her; for the way her body was shaking, and the intense hostility that emanated from Tohru. She knew she couldn't ignore this any longer. That day she went to Hatori's home with Kisa close by her side.

"Hello? Oh, Isuzu, it's you. It's been a while. Please, come in. Would you like some tea?" Hatori asked politely, showing no signs of resentment toward her. It surprised her; she wondered if this somehow relaxed atmosphere was the result of Tohru's absence. She hesitated at first, but when Kisa walked right in, she followed silently. Walking into the kitchen, she saw Haru at the table.

"Hey Isuzu. Hey kid; how are you doing?" Haru inquired. Said kid shrugged her shoulders and threw her arms around her beloved friend. Isuzu sat down at the table as Hatori put the tea on the table.

"So, what brings you here? I must that I'm-" Hatori began, but Isuzu cut him off, "I believe that you know damn well why I'm here. The only thing I want to know is how can I protect her? Tohru has been getting more and more impatient with how we're acting. I can honestly say that I fear for Kisa. And to be honest, I mildly fear for my own safety."

"You have to break yourselves off from the family. They are too affixed to Tohru's lies. You and Kisa can move in with us."

"Wait…when did you guys move in together?" Isuzu demanded, shocked.

"Well, when we went to see Kisa, we figured that it would be better to live together, so if she needed us, she could go to one place." Haru explained.

"Why would she need to come see you? Is there something I don't know?" Isuzu asked, suspicion heavy on voice.

"Yeah, there is actually," Hatori stated bluntly," We knew that Kisa was being targeted next by the rumors that she had stopped talking again. We went to see her, and lo and behold, we were right. We told her that when Tohru tried to touch her, to go to you because we knew that you would protect her."

"Well, even though that's pretty manipulative of you, I'm flattered. And it worked."

0

In the next few days, Isuzu and Kisa had moved their things into the large apartment the men had bought. They knew that their plan would work, so they went ahead and bought a 5 bedroom house.

"Why a 5 bedroom house?" Isuzu had asked asked while they were moving.

"Just in case Hiro leaves." Haru replied with a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Why would Hiro join us so soon…?"

"Because Kisa left. You know how attached to Kisa he is."

And sure enough a few days later, Hiro came knocking their door with a angry pout adorning his features.

"I want to be with Kisa. That's the only reasong I'm joining you guys!" The sheep child growled.

Everyone was rather bemused by this, but it was expected. There was a reason Hatori had been so respected before he left; not only was he the Juunishi's doctor, but he was rather cunning and manipulative, though not many realized it. Over the next few weeks, the 3 adults planned what to do next.

Meanwhile…

"I can't believe they would join those lying idiots!" Kyo bellowed at the Juunishi meeting that was held at Shigure's house. They were deciding what to do about the others leaving.

"I say we go and beat them into submission then bring them back." Yuki suggested rather calmly despite what he was saying.

"That might not work. They have just as many fighters as we do. And Isuzu can be very vicious if provoked; not to mention Hatsuharu when he goes black. We need a better strategy than that." Akito corrected, a nasty look overshadowing his face.

"Well, we have to take into account the _reason_ they left." Shigure said softly. He said the one thing everyone was thinking, but didn't want to say. They all looked at Tohru, who sat there with a face that held a mixture of passiveness and loathing. She was almost seething, but her lips were squeezed together to try and keep her temper under control. She knew that if she ranted about what she was thinking, she might lose some of them. Although Kyo and Yuki would stay by her no matter what, and she was sure that no matter where Yuki was, there also would Ayame be. But Shigure, Kureno and Akito; that was another thing completely, and it would undo everything she worked so hard to put together if they left her now. She wanted to get all of them to kill themselves eventually, but it would be on her terms, and when all of them were under her control. She was so pissed she could scream.

"Would anyone like something to eat?" Tohru asked through clenched teeth. She couldn't stand to just sit there anymore. It was driving her insane! Without waiting for them to answer, she got up and went into the kitchen.

"Kyo, Yuki, go check on her," Akito ordered, "Make sure that she's okay." After they left, the remaining four men's voices sank to a whisper.

"What are we supposed to do? We know that she's strange, but I never expected her to be completely insane!" Kureno spat as quietly as he could.

"Well, what are we supposed to do about it? I mean, if we leave, do you seriously think that Kyo and Yuki would come with us? All we can do is wait for her to snap," Shigure soothed.

"I'm afraid that that's not an option. If we stay here, who knows what she might end up doing to us. I don't want to leave her either, but with the way she's been acting, I can honestly say that I'm afraid for our lives." Akito stated plainly." We have to get out of here, with them or not."

"But! I can't leave my brother here! He needs me!" Ayame interjected.

"If he needed you, do you think he would be ignoring you so completely? He's entirely entranced with Tohru, and there's nothing any of us can do about it. She's their drug and they're too addicted to her to stop. Come on, Ayame, face reality," Kureno replied with a pained look on his face.

"That's not true! He needs me. He does…" Ayame dejectedly tried to reassure himself; a pained look on his face. Shigure went to his old friend's side and held him.

"I don't think he does, Aya; I just don't think he cares anymore. We have to get out of here before it's too late for us too." Shigure cooed apologetically.

"I-I just-," Ayame began, but was cut off by Akito.

"No. We're leaving tomorrow. That's final," Said man stated in a voice that declared finality.

Three of the men nodded in understanding, the other glancing away in obvious despair. A few minutes later, the three teenagers walked in with food aplenty. Tohru set it down, and they immediately began eating. After a while, it was time to go; Akito gave the other men a meaningful look. Then they left to go pack whatever it was they needed.

00

The Next Day…

A knock sounded at the door. Isuzu went to go answer it. When she opened the door, she froze in shock, jaw slack. Standing in front of her were three men; specifically, Akito, Kureno, and Shigure.

"We're leaving Tohru." Akito answered her silence bluntly." She's psychotic, and we don't want to end up dead."

"Oh," was all the poor girl could muster through her blank brain. Akito took that as a go-ahead and walked past her into the house, followed by Kureno and Shigure, who closed the door and led the confused girl into the kitchen, where the others had disappeared to. A voice sounded from the hallway," Isuzu, what's going…on," Hatori stood in the doorway surprised." Well, hello there," he said," What brings you here?"

"We missed you, Haa-san!" Shigure replied dramatically, before getting bopped on the head nonchalantly by Kureno, who turned to Hatori and shrugged," We're sick of Tohru's lies and insanity. We want out, and you were the best option."

"Ah, well then, you're all welcome. We will have to share rooms, for I was not expecting you so soon. I hope you can live with that."

"Of course. I'm willing to have my privacy invaded instead of my mental health," Akito quipped harshly, obvious hostility in his voice. Whether it be because of what Hatori said, or because the thought of Tohru was that disgusting, it didn't honestly matter; they were here, that's what mattered. They were out of her web of deceit and that was all the others could ask for; their friend's safety.

The residents had to readjust their living situations by accommodating another person into their rooms. Kisa and Isuzu roomed, Hiro and Haru were paired up,(Hiro complained the whole time of course) Akito demanded he room with Kureno. That left Hatori, who kept his own room, and Shigure, of whom no one was willing to room with, for what should be obvious reasons.

The next day, everyone gathered in the living room to discuss what they could possibly do about the situation at hand.


	5. Gasp!

Okay, so someone brought up a really good point

Okay, so someone brought up a really good point. There is a good reason that I didn't include Ritsu. Of course I didn't tell you,(That's code for I completely forgot about him haha…oh, god, I'm an idiot…) so I'll include that in this episode! (Don't hate me for my idiocy…please?)

Well, regardless, JUST GET ON WITH IT! (Hee)

0

He had finally gained confidence in himself. It took him awhile, and it took a special rehab, but he was okay now. Thanks to his rehabilitation, he no longer felt like everything was his fault; he took life as it was and didn't feel the need to hide behind kimonos and yukatas anymore. It was enlightening! He couldn't wait to tell Tohru and everyone! He had been gone a long time, but he was sure that everything would be the same. Nothing had changed in the decade he'd lived there. But really, hindsight is such an annoying thing.

He arrived at the Sohma Estate, but all was quiet, as if no one had been there recently. He wandered around the room. The rooms he knew that belonged to some of the Juunishi were bare. He was surprised; this was a new one. So he went to the only other place he knew the other Juunishi to be: Shigure's house. He knocked on the door, completely unaware of the danger that lurked behind the door. He had no idea that he should be running, that his mortal soul depended on it. But once again, hindsight is useless.

The door opened, revealing a sullen Tohru, as soon as she saw him, however, she looked shocked and instantly plastered a smile on her face.

"Ritsu! What a pleasant surprise! Please, come in! Where have you been all this time?" She asked, trying to sound as affable as possible. It obviously worked as he smiled back; and honest and pure smile. Her smile became tainted with devilish intent; she would not let him go. He was a perfect target. She was so delighted; she acted as if Christmas came early for her.

"Hello, Tohru! Do you know where the others are? I went to the Estate, but no one was there. I was worried, so I came here to check," He was so innocent. His question seemed simple enough, but the answer that was to be given had to be perfectly stated. One misplaced word and he might escape her snare.

"Oh, they went on a vacation! Akito was feeling well, and wanted to go somewhere. Kyo, Yuki, and Ayame, all stayed behind to keep me company. Isn't that nice of them?" She asked, not waiting to get an answer." We're not sure where they went because it was to be a surprise for them. But you're welcome to stay here with us while they're gone!" The misleading, cheerful tone of her voice eased his fears. Why was there any reason to not believe her? She'd never done anything to make him wary of her. Yet.

"Oh! Well, alright then. If it's not too much trouble, I would love to stay! It's better than being alone after all," His equally cheerful tone was rather unnerving for her. She wondered if she could target, what with his apparent full recovery of self-hate. No matter, she decided, it's always easy to fall back into the way you once were if given a little push.

"Good! I'll let the others know as soon as they get back from shopping. In the mean time, would you like to help me finish doing the laundry? I'd just started when you came."

"Of course! It'd be impolite to let you do them by yourself, since you're letting me stay here while the others are gone!" Good, even though he's gotten better, he's still overly courteous. That's a good sign. It means that he isn't as recovered as he thinks he is. That will make this much easier. They folded the laundry in silence, nothing really to say. As they had finished, the three men came walking in the door.

"Who's here?" Kyo asked in that way of his, sounding more demanding than curious. Tohru came into the room, followed by Ritsu.

"Wow! It's been a long time, Ritsu-san. How are you?" Yuki questioned; a smile on his face, blissfully unaware of the spell he was under.

"I'm fine, Yuki-san. Better than ever, actually! How are you?" It was such a pleasant conversation, it was almost disgusting. Thankfully, Ayame came to the rescue and threw his arms around the younger man.

"It's been SO long, Ritsu! My heart almost died while you were gone! As if part of me had DIED! Never leave my side!" He proclaimed dramatically. Of course this pissed Yuki and Kyo both off. Without even looking, the boys conked the flamboyant man on the head.

"Ow! I expect that from Lucky Kyo, but you too, brother? How it makes me cry whenever you do such hurtful things to me!" To add to the dramatic effect, he sniffed loudly, throwing the back of his hand to his forehead. It was, well, very melodramatic to say the least.

"Would you shut up? I don't care what you think." The younger sibling quipped, turning on his heel and marching into the kitchen. Ayame smiled and looked to the man still in his arms, who smiled back just as amicably.

"I will take Ritsu to get some fresh air, as all of this anger in the air is stifling! Come, Ritsu! Let us flee to the safety of the open air!" As he said this, he grabbed said man's hand and practically flounced out the door. Once out in the open air, away form the others, he stopped and turned to Ritsu; a smile no longer on his face. He looked more frightened and paranoid than Ritsu had ever seen him, not that he'd seen him much.

"Listen carefully, Ritsu. I don't know why you're here, but you have to get away. Not no, because they'll suspect something, but tonight. Meet in my room and I'll have the information you'll need to find the others. I don't what that she-devil told you, but I know it was a lie. She's lost her mind and I won't let her attack you," he said all of this urgently, looking Ritsu dead in the eyes. There was no humor there; no sign that said that he was joking.

"What are you talking about? Tohru has been perfectly nice to me since I got here, and if she's gone so insane, then why are you still here?" His tone of voice looked like it might as well have been a slap to the face for Ayame, the way he reacted.

"The only reason I'm here is because Yuki is. I won't leave him, and he and Kyo are so spellbound by her, that they can't see what she's doing. I assume she didn't tell you that Momiji killed himself, did she?" He asked, anger bubbling in his voice." And I also assume that she didn't tell you that it was because of her that he did it."

"What do you mean? Are you telling me that she forced him to commit suicide?" Ritsu demanded, aghast. He couldn't believe his ears!

"In a way. She tricked us all into believing that she was the epitome of kindness, but all the while she had us alienating him, and we didn't even know it. Her happiness, her kindness, everything about her is one big lie. The others shook off her delusions and got away. I would leave too, but I can't stand the thought of my brother being here alone with an evil person like her." Ayame explained, trying to keep his voice down, and making it as brief as possible, so no one would come walking out and overhear them. His eyes kept darting to the door to make sure no one was there.

"I can't believe it. I won't believe it! Tohru helped me realize that I needed to change the way I thought about myself; that I was worth something! I won't stand here and let you tell me that she's that kind of an awful person! I'm going to stay here with her. I won't tell them what you said just now; I'm going to pretend that it was a joke. Then I'm going to go back inside and eat dinner with everyone like nothing was wrong. I can't believe that you would accuse her of something like that." Ritsu was indignant now. The thought that she could do something that awful was absurd. She couldn't do something like that…could she? No; impossible. He couldn't let the other man delude him like this.

He turned away from the defeated-looking man, walked back into the house, and closed the door on his only chance of freedom. He had sealed his own fate, and it wasn't a pretty one. Not at all. Ayame whipped out his cell phone and hit speed dial.

0

They were all sitting around the table; some taking showers, some watching TV, and others reading and drinking coffee. Suddenly Hatori's phone went off. He set down his coffee and book,(Really, did you expect anything else?) pulled the phone out his pocket and flipped it open, holding it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Haa-san, it's me. Ritsu came to the house today. Tohru offered to let him stay. I tried to tell him to get out because it was unsafe, but he won't listen to me! He's refusing to leave and is determined that Tohru is still as perfect as a saint. I don't know what to do."_ Came the helpless response from the other end.

"Ayame, this is unexpected. I didn't think you believed us." Hatori shot, afraid this was a ploy to get…well he didn't know what, but it couldn't be good.

"_Don't be a fool. Of course I believe you! But do you honestly think that I'd leave my brother in this hell-pit alone? I have to protect him!"_ Ayame shot back immediately.

"No, I suppose not," he sighed," Fine. But how is Ritsu there? We haven't seen him in years. I was beginning to think that he had actually made good on his threats and killed himself."

"_Although that might have been an hilarious situation to watch had it occurred, no. He's here, and he's better than ever. Well, aside form the whole imminent doom part."_

"Do you have any idea how awful a person you sounded just then?" Hatori deadpanned." I mean really, man, even if would have been funny, you don't say it!"

"_Right, right. Let me be clear. You should get a plan together before there's no one to plan for. You get my drift? As soon as I saw him in that room with her, I knew she wanted him. It's like a neon sign above his head saying "Dead Meat"! _Then the line went dead. That was strange, Ayame never just hung up, but maybe he had good reason to. Nonetheless, he was right. They had to get a plan together before the plan was null and void. He walked into the living room, turned the TV off and called everyone in. They had some planning to do.

HA! Okay, so that was a little far fetched I think. But Hopefully I pulled it together okay. (Fingers crossed!) I wanted to apologize for taking so long to repost, so I thought I'd give you another one!

Love and Plotlines!


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